Exploring Referral and Service Utilization Patterns Within an Outpatient Interdisciplinary Pediatric Chronic Pain Program

© 2024 Hildenbrand et al..

Purpose: We examine referral sources and clinical characteristics for youth presenting to an outpatient interdisciplinary pediatric chronic pain program.

Patients and Methods: Referral data were extracted from the electronic health record. PROMIS Pediatric Anxiety and Pain Interference Scales were administered at an initial evaluation visit.

Results: The program received 1488 referrals between 2016 and 2019, representing 1338 patients, with increasing volume of referrals over time. Referrals were primarily from orthopedics (19.6%), physical medicine and rehabilitation (18.8%), neurology (14.4%), and rheumatology (12.6%). Patients referred were primarily female (75.4%), White (80.1%), English-speaking (98.4%) adolescents (median=15.0 years). Of those referred, 732 (54.7%) attended an interdisciplinary evaluation (ie, with ≥2 disciplines). Adolescent anxiety was within the expected range by self-report (N=327, MT-score=55.67) and parent proxy-report (N=354, MT-score=57.70). Pain interference was moderately elevated by self-report (N=323, MT-score=61.52) and parent proxy-report (N=356, MT-score=64.02). There were no differences between patients referred who attended versus did not attend an interdisciplinary evaluation based on age, sex, ethnicity, or language. A smaller than expected proportion of referred Black patients (44%, P=0.02) and patients referred from orthopedics (40%) or pulmonology (11%) attended an evaluation, whereas a larger than expected proportion of those referred from physical medicine and rehabilitation (78%) were evaluated (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Results highlight the demand for outpatient interdisciplinary pediatric chronic pain treatment. Findings can inform decisions related to staffing and service design for pediatric hospitals that aim to establish or grow outpatient pediatric chronic pain programs.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:17

Enthalten in:

Journal of pain research - 17(2024) vom: 13., Seite 525-533

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Hildenbrand, Aimee K [VerfasserIn]
Amaro, Christina M [VerfasserIn]
Bear, Benjamin [VerfasserIn]
Soprano, Catherine M [VerfasserIn]
Salamon, Katherine S [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Chronic pain
Interdisciplinary
Journal Article
Pediatric
Referral
Treatment

Anmerkungen:

Date Revised 10.02.2024

published: Electronic-eCollection

Citation Status PubMed-not-MEDLINE

doi:

10.2147/JPR.S430411

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM368229289